1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display systems and more particularly, is directed towards display systems for presentation of an analog image of digital data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Two-dimensional images that have been spatially-sampled, for example in computer processing, generate display artifacts due to aliasing, leakage and data quantization if the digital image data is simply converted to analog intensity values and is displayed directly. These artifacts seriously degrade the quality of image perception. In nuclear medicine in particular, image display requirements are manifold, since not only basic anatomy and morphology are being investigated, as a standard X-ray or computerized tomography scan procedure, but also complex multiple physiological functions such as cerebral blood flow, myocardial perfusion, renal flow, cardiac wall motion, and the like.
The inherently discrete characteristic nature of digital data resulting from computer processed images has been a deterrent to the diagnostic interpretation of the images by people educated, trained, and familiar with continuous analog images. The quantum nature of discrete boundaries in both the shades of grey and the picture element spatial borders create high frequency noise which essentially degrades the image resolution available to the viewer. Digitial displays associated with computer processed scintigrams have added to the existing problem of learning how to interpret a new study of body function, the burden of learning to interpret a different display. A need has arisen for a display system which does not suffer from the heretofor mentioned disadvantages and limitations.